Ageism at Work: Older Workers and the Emerging Labour Market

Transcription

1 Ageism at Work: Older Workers and the Emerging Labour Market CAG Symposium: Barriers to Employment in Later Life Sponsored by Aging and Paid Work Thematic Committee, PCLC October 17, 2014 Ellie D. Berger, PhD Leader, Aging and Paid Work Thematic Committee, PCLC Associate Professor, Sociology, Nipissing University

2 Background Older workers make up an increasingly large share of the the Canadian labour force. The definition of older worker varies by industry, health status, appearance, etc. Older workers take considerably longer than younger workers to find work when unemployed.

3 Background Many older workers want or need to work longer, but this requires employers hiring and retaining them. There is an increasing necessity for employers to rely on the employment of older workers. There is little qualitative research that investigates the views of older workers and employers.

4 Study #1 Older Worker Study Interviews with 30 older workers (aged 45-65) Unemployed for three months or longer and actively searching for work Range of industries

5 Study #2 Employer Study Interviews with 26 employers Small and large companies Range of industries

6 Findings 1. Older Worker Study 2. Employer Study 3. Linking Older Workers Perceptions and Employers Attitudes

7 As someone who was employed for a number of years in various different positions, I felt very much respected and valued and treated well. No question at all. But I find that it is a very different picture when, for whatever reason, you are at that particular age.

8 Findings: Older Worker Study Sensing the Age Factor

9 Older Worker Study Sensing the Age Factor I had a course that they (employment agency) provided for experienced workers It made me very much aware of what s going on out there. I was not realizing it. I never realized that age was a factor.

10 Findings: Older Worker Study Sensing the Age Factor The Old Label

11 Older Worker Study The Old Label It doesn t matter that we can do the same job as well or better, they look at my grey hair and they see an old man. Perception is everything I am being judged by my appearance and my date of birth. I feel like a castaway; like an old shoe that is of no use anymore.

12 Findings: Older Worker Study Sensing the Age Factor The Old Label Explicit Confirmation

13 Older Worker Study Explicit Confirmation I phoned up a month after I was told that they were not going to give me the position because I wanted to talk to the person and see why. I was then told point blank that the main factor was my age. Point blank.

14 Findings: Employer Study Positive Age Stereotypes

15 Employer Study Positive Age Stereotypes I don t think that our younger and older workers have the same type of approach to work. I think for the older worker, they re a lot more dedicated to the company and loyal... The turnover rates are much higher with younger workers.

16 Findings: Employer Study Positive Age Stereotypes Ageist Views

17 Employer Study Ageist Views Because of society s view society wants young servers. People don t want nonattractive people serving them and the older we get the less attractive we become. It s not a big deal if older workers have to cancel their curling or whatever and say ok, well we have to do this for the company.

18 Findings: Linking Older Workers Perceptions and Employers Attitudes Résumés

19 Linking Attitudes Résumés Employer When we were going through the résumés for the last position I was trying to figure out, as any good employer does, exactly how old some of the people were With the younger people, they put down they graduated 97, 96, whatever it is. With the older group, it will say Bachelor of Science, but it won t have the year.

20 Findings: Linking Older Workers Perceptions and Employers Attitudes Résumés The Job Interview

21 Linking Attitudes The Job Interview Employer When you re sitting down and you invite someone into an interview room you start watching their physical abilities if someone s looking creaky and shaky you don t hire them.

22 Findings: Linking Older Workers Perceptions and Employers Attitudes Résumés The Job Interview Ageist Discourse

23 Linking Attitudes Ageist Discourse Older Worker I got turned down for a job and I asked [why] and the answer was, and I quote, they hired somebody more junior. So in other words, junior is a euphemism for younger... Obviously they realize that if they were to have said we hired somebody younger that s illegal, so now it seems like it is in vogue to say more junior.

24 Findings: Linking Older Workers Perceptions and Employers Attitudes Résumés The Job Interview Ageist Discourse Training and Technology

25 Linking Attitudes Training and Technology Employer They need more training. Because like I said they re not as ambitious, and their retention of information just isn t there because they just don t really care about technology.

26 Findings: Linking Older Workers Perceptions and Employers Attitudes Résumés The Job Interview Ageist Discourse Training and Technology Gendered Ageism

27 Linking Attitudes Gendered Ageism Employers With some of the older women I mean it s like they re dressing in their daughters clothes thinking that s going to get them the job and it s the shear amount of make-up they will wear... it s kind of a cougar scenario. People want to be served by younger pretty staff because they are easy on the eyes they want to see young, pretty girls.

28 Conclusions Structural Barriers to Employment (both perceived and real) Ageist Attitudes and Practices Persist Older Workers Actively Manage Ageism Improvement of Policies and Practices Employers Practices Older Worker Programs Educational Campaigns Encourage Best Employer Programs